


Lightning Bugs

by ladylangst



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmates, Undecided Relationship(s), Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26080873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylangst/pseuds/ladylangst
Summary: Most people have soulmarks to represent their soulmates. Zuko has five burn scars on his back.Platonic soulmates au
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Mai & Zuko (Avatar), Ozai/Ursa (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko, Ursa & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 321





	Lightning Bugs

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm really excited about this story. I hope you guys like it!!

Zuko grasps his mom’s hand as they join the crowd of people flowing into the theatre, beaming widely underneath his hood. He tugs gently at Ursa, trying to get her to move faster. People bump lightly against them as they enter the building, but Zuko doesn’t care. This is just so exciting! It’s the first time that mom has taken him to town without father, and they’re going to see a play. Not even Azula is coming with them. It’s a special treat just for him. 

It’s not like he hasn’t been to see plays before. Every summer Zuko’s family goes to watch  _ Love amongst the Dragons _ . It’s Zuko’s favorite play. Azula seems to like it too, but he’s not really sure. Azula is really hard to read. His father definitely doesn’t like it. He prefers historical reenactments that are focused on the Fire Nation’s “culture rich” and “powerful” history, but he lets them see it because Mom likes it. 

He would have been happy watching his favorite play again tonight, but mom really wanted to take him to see a new one. Zuko thinks she feels bad for him. This trip to Ember island was supposed to be for his eleventh birthday, and the only reason that they get to go out alone is because father and Azula left early to begin her advanced fire bending lessons. Zuko doesn’t mind, though. He knows how important fire bending is to Azula, and besides, now he gets to spend more time alone with mom. 

Zuko stops thinking so hard when they enter the auditorium. It’s one of his favorite places in the whole world. He thinks it’s even better than the palace. The room is tall and long with swirling gold lining the walls. The only light in the room comes from dozens of lanterns lining the walkways. Zuko thinks they look like dancing lightning bugs. People are filling up every inch of the room, whispering excitedly to each other while they search for seats. Everyone looks warm and happy in the firelight. 

Mom pulls Zuko to a pair of seats in the very back of the room. They sit down as close together as possible, and mom lets go of his hand. Zuko can barely keep himself from bouncing in his seat. Ursa laughs quietly, and Zuko looks up to see her smiling at him with crinkled eyes. 

“I’m glad that you’re excited for the play, Zuko, but you don’t need to rattle the whole theatre.” She says, gently pulling his hair back into place, and straightening his shirt. “I’m sure that the play will start any second now.”

Zuko can feel his face turning red, so he looks down at his shoes when he answers. “Sorry mom. I’m just really happy that we’re seeing something new tonight. Do you know what it’s going to be about?” He looks back up just in time to see Ursa’s smile turn teasing. 

“I can’t tell you that, little turtleduck. You’re just going to have to watch and see for yourself.” 

“But mom,” Zuko whines, trying hard not to smile, “I don’t want to wait until the play is over to know what happens.”

“Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.” Mom turns back to watch the empty stage with a look that Zuko likes to call her ‘memory eyes’. “Try to be patient. The first time I saw this play my mother refused to tell me anything about it too. The surprises make it more beautiful.”

Zuko lets out a little huff and sinks back in his seat. The people around them have mostly settled down, and the only sounds in the room are from shifting seats and rustling fire flake packages. Zuko’s stomach rumbles like a tiger and he frowns. Maybe he can get some fire flakes after the show. The ones that they sell outside the theatre always taste the best. 

After a couple more minutes of waiting, the room goes completely dark, and everyone holds their breath. Then the curtains are drawn back from the stage with invisible hands, and the stage bursts into light. Zuko gasps and blinks hard to clear the spots from his eyes. 

A woman is dancing across the stage, gathering flowers and singing like a bird. All around her are colorful puppets that look like forest animals. Zuko can even see a dancing turtleduck! He leans forward as far forward as he can, gripping his seat in his hands. He’s so absorbed in the play that he barely notices his mother smiling at him in her knowing way. 

As the play goes on, more and more people start to look like Zuko. Everyone is on the edge of their seats watching the young noble lady go on her adventure. She’s stuck exploring a whole new world all by herself, and she has to find a way home, but a common shopkeeper noticed how lost she seemed, and he decided to help her. Zuko likes the shopkeeper, he reminds him of his older cousin, Lu Ten. 

When the curtains close for a short intermission, Zuko wants to protest. The noble lady was just about to attend a ball with the shopkeeper! He needs to know what happens next! He’s startled out of his thoughts when Ursa nudges him gently. 

“Come on Zuko,” she says, standing up beside him, “Let’s go get you something to eat while we wait. I’m fairly certain I saw you eyeing those tasty looking fire flakes earlier.”

Zuko shakes himself a bit and smiles. “Okay mom.” he says. He stands up on tingling legs and grabs his mom’s hand again. They walk out with a stream of other people leaving the theatre for bathroom breaks and snacks. 

It's dark outside, but the city is brightly lit by bonfires and hanging lanterns. Zuko takes a deep breath of the crisp night air and hums at the way it makes his lungs feel awake. His mother pulls him towards the fire flake stand, and they get into the growing line. 

People are chattering about the play, and discussing what they think will happen next. Zuko thinks that the noble lady and the shopkeeper are going to get married. They seem like they really like each other, and that’s what people do when they like each other. Well, that’s what Uncle says anyways, but he’s usually right about this kind of thing. 

Zuko looks up at his mom and tugs at her hand. “Mom, how much of the play is left?” 

She glances down at him with a confused expression. “There should be at least another hour. Are you enjoying it so far?”

“Yes, of course! It’s amazing. It just seems like there’s too much left to happen for the play to be almost over.” Zuko huffs a bit and crosses his arms. 

Ursa laughs at him and squeezes his shoulder gently. “Don’t worry, silly turtleduck. Everything is going to come together at the end. There’s enough time.” She pulls him forward as the line moves, and they walk to the counter. 

Zuko forgets all about the play for a couple of seconds when his mom hands him a steaming packet of crispy fire flakes. His mouth waters at the spicy smell rising from the bag. This stand always has the perfect flakes. They’re really crispy on the outside and chewy at the center. 

He grins and pops one in his mouth, sighing at the spicy tingling on his tongue. The snack is full of peppery flavors, and curry seasoning, but there’s also a little bit of coconut mixed in. It’s perfect. His mom doesn’t get any fire flakes. She thinks that they’re too spicy, but she does get a box of cinnamon candies.

They sit outside for a couple of minutes with they’re snacks, before heading back into the theatre with slightly sticky fingers. Zuko tries to lick the last of fire flake flavoring off of his hands, and it mostly works. He thinks it will be okay for now. 

The theatre is already starting to calm down when they walk back in, so Zuko and his mom sneak back to their seats. He tries hard not to giggle as they walk, but Ursa ends up having to shush him anyways. They sit down just as the curtains come back open. 

Zuko’s immediately pulled back into the story. The noble woman and the shopkeeper are just getting into the ball, and the stage is really pretty. There are dozens of couples dressed up in silky gold and red dresses, and their faces are done up with sparkling powder. Zuko thinks his mom would look pretty with some of the shiny powder too. 

The main characters get into the middle of the stage, and they start dancing in sync with the other characters. Zuko gasps at how pretty everyone looks with the swirling fabric and glowing lights. As the ball goes on though, the noble lady and the shopkeeper keep getting pushed farther and farther away from each other. By the last song, they’re on opposite ends of the stage. Zuko thinks that they both look really sad. It makes him feel sad too. 

A soft song starts playing, and it’s really different from the happy music from before. All of the other actors move to the sidelines, and the shopkeeper meets the noble lady in the center of the stage for one more dance. The way they move across the stage together makes Zuko’s chest ache, and his eyes well up. They seem to like each other so much, but they’re really sad. He doesn’t understand why they can’t just be together. 

When the dance ends, and the couple is separated again, he feels tears start to slide down his face. He sniffles quietly and rubs at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. This isn’t fair. The noble lady would be so happy with the shopkeeper. Why aren’t they staying together?

All of a sudden, light fluttering hands start to rub gently at Zuko’s back as he cries. He jolts forward at the unexpected touch, but after a couple of seconds he relaxes again. He twists in his seat to see if there’s anyone behind him, but he doesn’t see anyone. 

He peeks at his mom to see if she’s noticed anything, but she’s still staring at the stage with misty eyes. Zuko looks back into the darkness behind him. 

“Hello? Is anyone there?” He whispers softly. No one says anything back, but Ursa shushes him halfheartedly. He sits back in his seat, and he doesn’t jump when someone wraps their arms around his shoulders.

The invisible person continues to comfort Zuko with feather-light pats and hugs throughout the rest of the play. He thinks that they feel like the flickering lanterns lining the walls. It makes the ache in Zuko’s chest turn warm and happy again. 

He’s gotten so used to it by the end of the play that he has almost forgotten about it completely. He’s only reminded of it when his mom grabs his hand to leave, and the invisible hugs go away. 

“Hey mom,” He starts, looking at his feet, “During the play something really weird happened. There was somebody with me while I was watching the play, but it was just you and me in the back. I don’t think it was anybody bad, but it was weird.”

Ursa gets a strange look on her face and she purses her lips, gripping Zuko’s hand tighter in hers. After dragging him beside her for a couple more seconds, she leads them over to a bench under a string of lanterns. “Sit down Zuko. I have a story to tell you.”

He sits down next to her and she pulls his hands into hers. “When you were little,” she starts, “You were born with five marks on your shoulders. They weren’t bad marks. They just looked like little paintings. I have one on my ankle. In fact, most people have them. These special paintings are called soulmarks. Each one represents someone in the world that is going to love you some day.”

“But mom, I don’t have any marks on my shoulders.” Zuko says. He feels really confused. “I just have burn marks from that accident with Grandpa Azulon.” 

His mom almost looks hurt when she answers, and Zuko leans forward to wrap his arms around her. “You used to have them, they were burned off in the… accident.” She hesitates, before continuing. “It doesn’t matter though, you still have five soulmates. That person you felt back in the theatre was one of them. Once you meet them, and you touch their soul marks, you’ll be able to comfort them too.” 

Zuko smiles and lets out a wistful sigh. “That sounds nice mom. Why haven’t you told me about this before? Isn’t it important?”

Ursa gets a serious look in her eyes and she turns his head to make sure he’s paying attention. “This is very important Zuko. These people are your destiny, but you can’t mention this in front of your father and grandfather.” She pauses again and bites her lip. “They don’t have any soulmarks, and hearing about other people’s marks makes them very sad. Do you understand, Zuko?”

Zuko nods jerkily. “Of course, mom. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to them. I don’t want to make anyone sad.”

Ursa lets a strained smile slide onto her face. “Good, now let’s get home little turtleduck. I think we could both use some sleep.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I should keep going through Zuko's childhood slowly, and wait a bit until getting to where the series started, or if I should do a couple more childhood scenes and then jump into the action. Let me know what you think!


End file.
